1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capture apparatus with a color property control function and an image capture program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when capturing an image in a place where a sufficient light cannot be provided, appropriate brightness is obtained by emitting an auxiliary light (flash for still image, movie light for moving image). When capturing an image by use of the auxiliary light, the light incident to an image capture apparatus is a combination of ambient external light irradiating an object and the auxiliary light. A color property of a captured image is affected by the auxiliary light. For example, the color temperature calculated from the captured image data coincides with the color temperature of the combined light of the external light and the auxiliary light but does not coincide with the color temperature only of the external light. Therefore, color correction such as white balance processing may not be performed appropriately.
The color property of the flash light varies as time advances. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-299108 discloses a technique to obtain an image of an object with a desired color by adjusting an exposure start time and an exposure termination time (accumulation time) so as to make the color property of the flash light become the same as the color property of the external light.
However, according to the foregoing technique, to obtain the desired color property, the accumulation time is restricted and appropriate exposure may not be realized. Changing sensitivity of an image sensor enables obtaining the desired color property by compensating underexposure, but processing becomes complex.
The technique given above can be applied to momentary emission such as the flash light, but cannot be applied to lasting emission such as the movie light for capturing moving image.